Employers today typically claim to be free from discrimination and prejudice. All employees and applicants should have equal access to training and opportunities. Nonetheless, despite women making up half of the workforce the number of women in senior management positions still sits well below 50%.
What sort of obstacles are women who seek management roles facing today?
Not having access to training and development
Many companies promote from within. They seek to place trusted team members into more senior positions. This requires the prospective managers to have access to training. They may also need a mentor who can offer feedback and development strategies.
The sad reality is that women are often overlooked. Most women who make it to higher management positions tell stories of having to fight tooth and nail to prove themselves as well as having to battle stereotypes.
Not having access to training and promotions is a form of discrimination if this is based on a person’s gender or other protected characteristic.
Unduly harsh criticism
All managers are generally under the spotlight, but this is especially the case for women in management positions. Often, women find themselves scrutinized more than their counterparts.
Women may find themselves harshly criticized for minor errors that would be overlooked in other circumstances. Such harsh criticism creates a lot of pressure and it can put women off of applying for more executive roles, because the scrutiny only becomes more intense.
If you feel like you have been denied opportunities because of your gender or another protected characteristic, this could be discrimination. Seek legal guidance to gather more information.